Display container



NOV. 28, 1950 w Msou 2,532,216

DISPLAY CONTAINER Filed Aug. 4, 1948 V 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

Marsha/l W/l/iamson A ffofney Nov. 28, 1950 M. l. WILLIAMSON 2,532,216.

DISPLAY CONTAINER Filed Aug. 4, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Marsha/l l W/7/l'amson A Home Patented Nov. 28, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application August 4, 1948, Serial No. 42,440 In Canada August 6, 1947 4 Claims. I

This invention relates to receptacles for the display of merchandise or the'like, and more particularly to such receptacles prepared from sheet material and capable of collapse from set-up condition to a flat storage and shipping condition.

Display receptacles of the type to which the present invention is directed are disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,139,534, issued to me under date of December 6, 1938, and are characterized by a bin structure having a set of oppsing walls normally locked against arm members of the receptacle when such receptable is in setup condition, such opposing walls being capable of being folded inwardly toward one another in causing the receptacle to assume its flat storage and shipping condition.

The present invention adds important structural features to such display receptacles, fea tures which enhance their structural strength and usefulness without adding materially to the cost nor complicating production.

Advantageously, the display receptacle is formed from a single blank of sheet material, preferably a material of the nature of cardboard, cut to the proper configuration, and provided with the necessary score, cut, and fold lines at proper locations on its face.

In its essentials, such single blank is configurated to provide a display-forming section, and a bin-completing section extending integrally from an end of the display-forming section. The former section includes means for creating an opening therein, and the latter section includes a set of oppositely positioned extensions capable of being folded inwardly toward one another for reception within the aforesaid opening and support against appropriate defining edges thereof at the setting-up stage. I

In preferred embodiments the display-forming section of such single blank is provided with cutlines or the like defining a tongue member, preferably rectangular in contour, of substantial magnitude relative to the area of the display-forming section and spaced apart from the edges thereof, the tip of the tongue being directed toward the bin-completing section. The area and configuration of the tongue member normally determine the area and configuration of the bindisplay opening, and the placement of the tongue relative to the respective edges of its including section is a factor determining the external configuration of the completely set-up display receptacle.

In such preferred embodiments, the tongue member and the portion of the blank thereabove, assuming the free end of the display-forming section to be the top of the blank, represent the back panel of the display receptacle when in set-up position; the portion of the display-forming section of the blank below the tongue member represents the front panel; and the portions of the blank laterally of the tongue member represent side arms defining, together with the back and front panels when the tongue member has been pushed out of planar coincidence with its surrounding sheet material preliminary to the assembling operation, a bin display opening.

The bin-completing section of the blank. is configurated and dimensioned and its component members are configurated and dimensioned for co-operation with the display-forming section in the formation of the set-up display container.

Accordingly, a panel member is provided of dimensions substantially equivalent to the dimensions of the bin display opening, such panel member representing in the set-up container, the bottom panel of the bin. Extending laterally from such bottom panel are members dimensioned to serve, upon proper placement in the set-up position of the receptacle, as side panels of the bin. An extension from the bottom panel downwardly forming the lower end of the blank, is provided to afford means whereby the bottom panel may be secured to the back panel at an appropriate location to maintain the display container in assembled form whether in its set-up display position or its collapsed storage or shipping position. A novel feature of the present invention resides in the manner in which the tip portion of the aforesaid tongue member is used to form an easel support for the combination as a whole; another, is the provision of means for reinforcing and supporting the aforesaid side arms when the receptacle is set up for use.

These and further objects and features of the invention will be considered fully in the following detailed description of the preferred constructions illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view looking from. above and from the front of one form of the invention fully assembled and in set-up position.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the device in collapsed position for storage or shipping.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken on the line 4-4, Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the cut and scored blank used to construct the device of the foregoing figures.

Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to that of Fig. 5 but illustrating a somewhat different form of the invention embodying additional features.

Fig. 7 is a view corresponding to that of Fig. l, but illustrating the inventive embodiment of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 38, Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention in set-up form ready to receive suitable merchandise or the like for display and merchandising purposes. Such embodiment is advantageously assembled from a single, integral blank, see Fig. 5, of sheet material, usually cardboard, and comprises in its essentials a back panel iii, side arm members I! and Hz, a front panel 13, a bottom panel Hi, and side panels l5 and I6, all related to one another to form a display receptacle having a considerable area of visible display surface, and a bin structure indicated generally at ll of substantial voluminal capacity and substantial area of display opening.

The blank from whichthe display receptacle is advantageously assembled and set-up is configurated, and provided with suitable score, cut, and/or fold lines, according to the desired configuration of the completely set-up receptacle, and, as illustrated in Fig. 5, comprises a displaytorming section, designated A, and a bin-completing section, designated 13, extending integrally from one end of the display-forming section. The opposite or free end of the displayforming section, for convenience, is termed the top of the blank and the other respective sides of the blank are termed accordingly.

Score, cut, and/or crease lines are impressed upon the face of the blank to define the com-- ponent members of each of the sections A and B, the two sections being divided from each other by the transverse score or crease line a.

The display-forming section A includes cutlines defining a tongue member, as at lila, preferabl'y rectangular in shape and wholly spaced apart from the edges of the section A, with its free end or tip directed toward the section B. Such tongue member Eta, together with the portion of the blank extending upwardly therefrom constitutes the back panel Ill of the set-up receptacle.

Pursuant to the present invention the free end or tip of the tongue member Illa is arranged to provide an easel structure for the display receptacle, thereby enhancing the strength and load-bearing capacity of the device. For this purpose a score or fold line q is provided transversely of the length of the tongue member lla at a location intermediate said length determined by the desired degree of forward slope oi the receptacle when set-up. This score or fold line q defines a rear easel section cc, which is merely the lower portion of the back panel id, and a front easel section 61 angularly related thereto, the fold line q becoming the easel foot, see Figs. 1 and 2.

The bin display opening may have substantially the same over-all size as the tongue memher I tie, in which case there is no stripping out and loss of material, or it may be longer as in the illustrated instance, in which case the surplus length, here indicated lilb, may be stripped out and discarded, a locking tab 62 being retained however as a rigid extension of the front easel section 6|.

The material of the blank lying laterally of the tongue member Eda comprises the side arms ii and it, such side arms ii and i2 being further defined by the score or crease lines I), b and c, 0 respectively. I

The portion of the blank lying below the tongue member Mia and the side arm members it and 52 which together form the section A,

constitutes the front panel is of th set-up receptacle, and serves to integrally connect section A with section B.

The bin-completing section B is configurated and provided with the necessary crease lines, specifically in the embodiment shown the longitudinal crease lines 6, e and the latitudinal crease line 7 cooperating with the section-dividin-g crease line a, to form the bottom panel memher it, having an area approximately coextensive with the area of the bin-display opening afforded by the set-up receptacle, and further to form side-panel members 55 and it; extending from respective lateral sides of the bottom panel member, and advantageously a securing lap 23, riding from the lower end of the bottom anel member. As shown, the crease line 1 between the bottom panel rrieihber and the securing lap is broken centrally by a cut-line directed to afford a tuck lock member, 2i, for insertion a slot 22 provided at a suitable location in the tongue member iiia. Such tuck lock member 2: is configurated to provide an insert aperture 63 merging into a locking slot 53a spaced a predetermined distance inwardly or" the bottom panel 5% from the crease line 1, for receiving and retaining the aforedescribed locking tab 62, see Fig. 1.

The component members of section B, as specified above, are related to one another and to the component members of section A with re spect to configuration and relative placement in the blank for cooperation in the assembling and the setting-up of the display receptacle.

Advantageously in this connection, the sidepanel members 15 and i6 are each provided with a locking protuberance 55a and Hits, respectively, at their upper ends for interlocking with notches 18 of the front panel 53, and further, with a locking notch I51) and 8%, respectively, at their lower ends for interlocking with the formations I 9, provided at the rearward ends of the side arms ii and H2. The side-panel members 15 and It are preferably parallelograms whose angular relations are determined according to the degree of slope desired for the bottom of the bin.

To assemble and set up the described embodiment of display receptacle from its fiat, blank condition, the tongue member the of displayforming section A is pushed backward out of planar coincidence with its surrounding sheet material, and the side-arm members ii and it, together with the portions of the blank depending therefrom, are brought forward and upward, folding on the crease lines b and 0. Such sidearm members, in conjunction with the back panel ill and the front panel !3, define a bin dis-play opening. The side-panel members I5 and 26 of the bin-completing section B are then bent backwardly against the back face of the bottom panel member [4 on the crease lines e, e, as is also the securing lap 23 on the crease line J, and

the entire section B is folded backwardly and upwardly on the section-dividing crease line a until the tuck-lock member 2| of the securing lap is brought into engagement with its coordinating slot 22 of the tongue member, the bottom panel member M thus becomin the bottom panel of the bin of the receptacle. The side panel members I5 and I5 are then raised to bear against the inside edges of the side-arm members i l and I2 respectively, the locking protuberances l5a,

7 I611 engaging their respective locking notches I8,

l8 and the locking notches 35b, lBb engaging their respective IOCkiIlg formations l9, 19 respectively, to afiord securement for the sidepanel members in this set-up position. Such side-panel members now become the side panels of the bin ll of the display receptacle, and, as illustrated, they lie in planes which are angularly related to the side-arm members H and i2.

By folding the tip end of the tongue member over upon itself along the crease line q, inserting the locking tab 62 into the rearwardly disposed aperture 63, and pulling the same forward so it clicks into locked position within the slot 63a, see Figs. 1 and 2, the easel structure is brought into fully set-up position strengthening the device considerably and adding greatly to its loadbearing capacity and stability in use.

The receptacle in its set-up condition, Fig. 1, is adapted to display merchandise retained in the bin II. It will be noted that all important visual surfaces in the set-up position are grouped on one face of the blank, and thus are capable of being impressed with suitable display indicia or decoration in one operation.

For the purposes of storage or shipping, the set-up receptacle may be collapsed to a substantially fiat condition, see Figs. 3 and 4, without disassembly, the easel structure being collapsed first and then the side-panels l5 and H5 being folded inwardl against the bottom panel i l Collapse of the remainder of the container follows almost simultaneously by reason of the fold ing function of th appropriate crease lines. A subsequent re setting-up of the container necessitates only raising the side panels l5 and is to locking position and pulling the locking tab 62 forward.

It will be noted that in the foregoing embodiment a certain disadvantage exists in that the aperture 63 in the bottom panel it of the bin is open; also, the locking tab 62 projects upwardly from the bottom of the bin interiorly thereof, in some instances of use interfering with the proper display of merchandise.

These disadvantages are overcome in the embodiment of Figs. 6, '7, and 8 by elongating what in the foregoing embodiment is the locking tab 62. Here the corresponding member is indicated 10, and is divided transversely of its length into two sections 18a and Nib by a score or crease line 1'. The section Illa becomes a closure panel for the aperture 63, see Fig. 7, and the section 101) a tuck-in flap for insertion at the rearward limit of the aperture. The member l3 folds on a score or crease line 8.

For reinforcing the side-arm members, here indicated II and I2, and for strengthenin the display container as a whole, the blank of Fig. 6 is cut to provide wing flap members l2 and i3, respectively, which advantageously extend laterally in the blank from the side-arm-forming members at the same angle as the side-panel members l5 and I6. They are marked off from the side-arm-forming members by score or crease lines of fold t and u, respectively, and are divided longitudinally into sections 12a, 12b and 13a, 131) by respective score or crease lines of fold v and to, which are broken by locking tabs 14.

In the setting-up of the display container, wing flap members 12 and 13 are folded downwardly on their respective lines of fold t and u, and their respective sections 121) and 1317 brought into face-to-face relationship with the outer wall faces of respective side-panel members l5 and 16', see Fig. 7, so that the respective sections 12a and 13a are diagonally placed as buttresses for both the side-arm members and the bin side walls of the device. They are held in such positions by the insertion of the tabs 14 in corresponding receiving slots 15 of the side-panel members, see Fig. 8, and the slipping of the lower margins of the sections 12b and 13b behind upwardly directed locking tabs 16 also provided in the side-panel members.

As so reinforced and buttressed the resulting display container may be picked up bodily by the side arms, while loaded, without buckling.

In both embodiments it should be noted that the locking formations, l9, l9, Fig. 1, and i9, I9, Fig. 7 at the rear ends of the side-arm members positively engage the bin-forming side-panel members, and therefore prevent any tendency for collapse of the device under concentrated loads. This feature is especially advantageous in the latter embodiment where certain inward and/or upward pressure is exerted on the side-panel members during securement of the buttressing wing flap members '12 and T3.

Iclaim:

1. In combination with a display receptacle formed of sheet material and collapsible from set-up status to a fiat storage or shipping status, such receptacle embodying a bin structure comprising a back wall, side-arms extending forwardly from the lateral sides of said back wall and spaced apart upwardly from the bottom of same, said side-arms defining therebetween a display-aperture, a front wall extending downwardly from the forward ends of said side-arms, a bottom panel extending backwardly from the lower end of said front panel and secured to said back panel, and side walls extending upwardly from respective lateral sides of said bottom panel and disposed in engagement with the inner edges of said side arms, said side walls being capable of collapse inwardly toward one another in effecting collapse of the display receptacle as an entirety, an easel-forming panel hinged to the base of said back wall to swing forwardly below said bottom panel, and locking means for securing said easel-forming panel in forwardly inclined position relative to said back wall and in buttressing position relative to said bottom panel, said locking means comprising a locking tab projecting from the easel-forming panel and a cooperative locking slot in said bottom panel spaced forwardly from the rear marginal edge thereof, the locking slot in said bot tom panel being a forward continuation of an insert aperture extending in said bottom panel forwardly from substantially the rear marginal edge thereof, said locking tab being provided with a hinged flap extension serving as a tuck-in closure for the insert aperture when the display receptacle is set up.

2. In combination with a display receptacle formed of sheet material and collapsible from set-up status to a flat storage or shipping status, such receptacle embodying a bin structure comprising a back wall, side-arms extending forwardly from the lateral sides of said back wall and spaced apart upwardly from the bottom of same, said side-arms defining therebetween a display-aperture, a wing flap member extending laterally from the outer margin of each of said side-arms, engaging means for positioning each of said wing flap members as a diagonal brace between the adjacent side-arm and the body of the display receptacle, a front wall extending downwardly from the forward ends of said side arms, a bottom panel extending baclrwardly from the lower end of said front panel and secured to said back panel, and side walls extending up wardly from respective lateral sides of said bottom panel and disposed in engagement with the inner edges of said side-arms, said walls being capable of collapse inwardly toward one another in efiecting collapse of the display receptacle as an entirety, an easel-forming panel hinged to the base of said back wall to swing 1.:

forwardly below said bottom panel, and loclr'ng means for securing said easel-forming panel in forwardly inclined position relative to said back wall and in buttressing position relative to said bottom panel.

3. A blank for forming a bin provided display receptacle, comprising a sheet of ioldable stiii material having a display-iorming section at one end and a bin-completing section at the opposite end, the two being integrally connected by a wall-iorn1ing panel; said displaycrrning section including a tongue portion, defined by cut lines, and placed wholly within and spaces: apart from the edges of the blank with its tip directed toward the bin-completing section, the -a tongue per se becoming the back wall of the bin of the set-up receptacle, and the portions of the blank laterally of the tongue becoming sidearms defining between each other the display opening of the said bin; said bin-completing section including a main panel and panels extending integrally, respectively, from opposite lateral sides of said main panel for cooperation with respective inner edges of said side in forming lateral walls for the said bin, the said main panel becoming the bottom of said and said wall-forming panel becoming the front wall of the bin; and an easel-forming panel defined at the tip end of said tongue portion by a transverse fold line, said easel-forming panel embodying a locking extension and atuck-in tab extending from said locking extension, the main panel of said bin-completing section which becomes the bottom of the bin being apertured to receive and engage said locking extension, said tuck-in tab being formed as a closure for such aperture.

4. A blank for forming a bin provided display receptacle, comprising a sheet of foldable stiff material having a display-forming section at one end and a bin-completing section at the opposite end, the two being integrally connected by a wall-forming panel; said display-forming section including a tongue portion, defined by out lines, and placed wholly within and spaced apart from the edges of the blank with its tip directed toward the bin-completing section, the tongue per se becoming the back wall of the bin or the set-up receptacle, and the portions of the blank laterally of the tongue becoming side-arms defining between each other the display opening of the said bin, and being extended laterally to form reinforcing wing fiap panels for the side-arms; said bin-completing section including a main panel and panels extending integrally, respectively, from opposite lateral sides of said main panel for cooperation with respective inner edges of said side arms in forming lateral walls for the said bin, the said main panel becoming the bottom of said bin, and said wall-forming panel becoming the front Wall of the bin and an easel-forming panel defined at the tip end of said tongue portion by a, transverse iold line.

MARSHALL I. WILLIAMSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inv the die of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,614,205 Miller Jan. 11, 1927 1,650,392 Ryan et a1. Nov. 22, 1927 2,139,534 Williamson Dec. 6, 1938 2,242,741 Betts et a1 May 20, 1941 

